Silo.



G. WENZELMANN.

SILO.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 2. 1913.

VWM/"55555; @Mw

Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

" UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE ousfravii WENZELMANN, or Gemstone, immers.

SILO.

To all whom e'tmay/ conc-cra Be it .known that l, Gnsfravn VENZEL- MANN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ofzGalesburg, intheeounty of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented a `new and useful Silo, of which the `iipllewing is a specification. y

My invention relates to silos and similar ircular or polygonal-sided structures. I One of the :main objects of the invention .is toprevideunovel means for automatically retaining in proper stress the several individual sections ol which the silo shown is coniposed,"which sections are prone to con tract and expand accordingly with varying seasons and weather conditions. It is to be understood, however, that this :feature oi my invention is not limited. to its embodiment in an independent-section silo, but that it is applicable to structures having a cenn tinuity of united sections.`

Another object is to provide novel sec tions and intermediate ineans, as standards or columns, whereby such structures may be well and durably erected, even by one unskilled in the arts ci' carpentry and joinery, and wherebyan injured or broken and theretore uselesspieceimay be removed and an other readilysubstituted.

Another obj eet is to avoid overlapping the ends of the horizontally laid strips, thus saving a relatively large expense which attaches to cuttingoil the ends of the strips at care fully predetermined angles.

`Still another object is to provide aconstruction in which the doorways may be `conveniently arranged and in which ready placement of a door or doors inay be made in any section. i 1` A further object is to provide a wall which `willeliminate danger of theensilage freez ing except it be subjected toextraordinary cold temperatures. i

A special object is to construct each ver* tical section entirely independent of another or others, and independent alseof the vertically arranged elements" intermediate theni.

\ Another object is to generally improve the constructionof structures of this character.

Minor objects will he in part obviousand in partV specifically mentioned. y In the accompanying drawings, which constitute a part ot' this specification: Figure l` is a fragmental top-plan `oit-a silo, showing the binding means` and showing also the nianner of assembling the vertical sections spcification of Letters Patent.

and standards; Fig. 2, an elevation ott-he".

upper portion et asilo embodying the eleinentszshown inFig. l; Fig.` 3, an enlarged` detail-a side elevation; Fig." t, a transverse section, enlarged, showing modified forms of tion, an enlarged, iragniental, transverse section, showing a sectionalhollow wall; Fifi'.`

7, a detailzniodiicatien, showing another p Patented Nov. 1.0, 1914. .Application filed .Tune 2, 191.3. SerialNo. 771,329,

forni oi. hollow block construction and asseinblage; and Fig. 8, an elevation of the `structure shown in F 7.

- Considering said drawings in detail and referring' to the several parts thereof by distinguishing reference characters, ,the saine one of which is uniformly employed `to designate the same part in the different views, 2, 2,: designate standards, each of which isf `i`vedgesliaped in cross `section anducoextea sive with the silo wall in height, but which may be made `up of several short pieces if 1 preferred.

as rounded ott. rlhe ends of the strips 3` are preferably sawed at right angles to their longitudinal lines, or square, se that when abutted against one of the beveled sides of `a standard 2 its length `will be at an obtuse angle to the front iace thereof, in order that laid without careful ineasureinents.` The `number of sides and angles will be dependent `upon'the degree ei angularity of the standards. When the strips 3 are of wood a multi-sided polygonal structure may he I prefer that they be united as shown `in t 5, `andwhen et clay or cement, mortar .4A

or the like is employed.l

VVhonthe standards" 2 and independent vertical sections -each oi which may be constructed of any suitable number of superj *lposed strips 3-have been erected to a suitable height, eaehpair thereofis bound or united by an inner binding-plate 6, an outer `binding plate 7,: an adjusting iron 8, and a binding hoop 9. Oi" each of these elements any desired and suitable number: may be employed. Each plate 6 is preferably a long strip of suitable material which is secured by lag screws 20 tothe inner i'ace of a standard 2, its sides overlapping the adjacent ends of the strips 3. However, if it be desired, the ends of the strips 3 may be rabbeted on their inner faces, and the sides of the plates 6 lairL into the recesses thus provided, in which event the plates will be flush with the inner faces of the strips and a smooth interior will result. These plates may be made up of a plurality of short strips if preferred.

Each plate 7 is preferably a strip of suit able material the inner face of` .which is lshaped to conform to the outer face of the standard 2 and the adjacent portions of the strips 3. Itis so evident that this plate `also may be made in sections that I have not deemed it necessary to encumber the drawings with illustrations of this and other obvious modifications.

. Each adjusting iron 8 comprises a base 10 tapered outwardly from top to bottom, to form an inclined plane, and at each end of the arm 11 is a shoulder or abutment, 12, 12, for purposes presently described. A circle described around the silo and taken at the upper portions of an annular series of irons S will be perceptibly less in diameter than one similarly described around the lower portions of the inclined planes. Lag screws or other suitable means secure the irons to the plates 7, but said irons may be otherwise suitably secured thereto, or to other elements which will retain them in position, if preferred. `The particular character of the hoop 9 to be employed is unimportant. The one illustrated is circular in cross section and provided with threaded ends which en# gage thethreads of an ordinary turnbuclrle 14. 25, 25 indicate openings for suitable doors, not shown.

vIn the modified wall structure shown by Fig. 6 I employ horizontally laid spaced strips 3 each having rabbeted ends 15. Each rabbet receives one edge of a side-wall strip, the outer wall strips being indicated by 16 and the inner ones y17. Both toe-nailing and straight nailing may be resorted to, to rigidly unite the parts of a structure thus constructed, and inasmuch as mill ends, shorts and other inexpensive lumber may be used, and all the work being of a rough character requiring neither careful measurements nor hand sawing, an etlicient and durable silo may be erected at a minimum cost.

One great advantage of a silo or other Asimilar exposed structure made from flatwise or horizontally'laid strips of wood is that there is but very little longitudinal eX- pansion or contraction, due to either heat or cold, moisture or dryness, and consequently a minimum of contraction or eXpansion of the building. There will therefore be but little movement of the hoops 9 after they are once adjusted by means of the several turnbuckles. However, should a maexpansion of the hoops, the latter will, byY

reason of the great force exerted by the structure 1n so expanding, travel `1n the path of least resistance, which is upwardly on said inclined plane, to again automatically adjust themselvesto the changed dimension of the silo.` The abutments 12 and 12 limit the movement of the hoop 9 in an evident manner.

In Figs. Tand S I have shown hollow silowall-blocks 21 of concrete or tile. Each of these comprises side walls 22, and a top 24: having one or more openings 26. f As in the case of the strips, these tiles are superposed, the lower edges of the side and end walls resting on the top ofthe block immediately below, which top is preferably convex in order that the sealing material poured through the opening 26 in the block above will lflow in all directions to make a continuous joint. To replace a useless strip or unit o-f either of the vertical sections 5 it may be knocked out and the securing means (as the nails or the cement) removed. The upper strips may then be driven or otherwise forced downwardly to fill the gap,

whereupon a new strip may bef laid in bevidual sections v5 will fall free from each other and the uninjured ones be again used, while usable portions of those which are partly destroyed may be again utilized. In moving the structure from place to place the value of this feature will be appreciated, as

every unit portion ofthe structure maybe separated from the others and not only easily transported but readily reassembled.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8 I have illustrated one which is not only impervious to water but which will prevent freezing of the contentsv of the silo except in an extremely cold temperature and Where the structure is entirely exposed. It will be observed that it is composed of la plurality j of units, superposed, `and that it may be laid with the edges of the units 4abutting the edges of the standards k2 and the units secured in place bythe binding plates Sand 7.

Many of the details and combinations 1 illustrated and herein described are not esj sential to the invention, broadly considered.

All this will be indicated in the claims here of, wherein the omission of an element or the nonfinclusion of reference to the detail features of the elements is intended to be a formal declaration of the fact that the omitted elements orv features are not essential to the invention covered by that claim.

Having thus described the nature of my invention, and having stated its objects, purposes and advantages, I `claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the ollowing', to-Wit 1. A silo comprising a plurality of independent sections each ofvvhich is composed of horizontally laid strips having squared ends, a Wedge-shaped element interposed between each pair of sections, and means for uniting said sections and Wedge-shaped ele-` ments.

2. A silo comprising a plurality of independent sections each of which is composed 01E horizontally laid strips, the sides and ends of which are at right angles to each other, a Wedge-shaped element interposed between each pair of sections, a hoop for binding said sections and Wedge-shaped elements, and means for manually tensioning said hoop.

3. A silo comprising a plurality of independent sections each of Which is composed of latwise laid strips, a Wedge-shaped elementbetween the adjacent ends of each pair of sections, a binder secured at the inner face of each of said Wedge-shapedelements and adapted to retain the adjacent edges of the contiguous sections, and a binder similarly disposed on the'outerfaoe oi? each Wedge-shaped elementand adapted to retain the adjacent edges of the contiguous sections.

4f; A silo comprising a plurality of inde pendent sections each of which is composed of horizontally laid strips, a Wedge-shaped element between. each pair of sections, a`

binder on the inner face of said Wedge, means for securing 1t, a binder on the outer face of the wedge, and means whereby said sections, Wedges and outer binder are held from separation.

5. A siloV comprising a plurality of 1ndependent sections each of which 1s composed of horizontally laid strips, a wedge-shaped (Zopiel of this patent may be obtained for tlve cents each, by addressing the. Gomminioner ot Patents.

Washington, D. C. v 

